Photovoltaic (PV) power generators employ solar panels to convert solar radiation from the Sun into electrical power for residences, commercial and industrial buildings, remotely located telecommunications relay systems, and a wide variety of other applications. To maximize exposure to the Sun and increase collection efficiency, the solar panels are usually installed on the rooftop of a house or building to which the electrical power is being supplied.
One significant safety-related problem with PV power generators is that the solar panels generate high voltages. These high voltages pose a hazard to anyone who might come into contact with the panels. Because solar panels produce high voltages simply by being exposed to the Sun, the high-voltage hazard remains, even if the solar panels are disconnected from other parts of the PV power generator.
Firefighters, in particular, are very well aware of the high-voltage hazard presented by roof-mounted solar panels. To more effectively battle a fire and increase the ability to locate and rescue individuals who may be trapped in a burning building, firefighters will often seek to ventilate the burning building by cutting a hole through its roof (e.g., by using a chainsaw). Ventilating allows heat and smoke inside the building to be expelled, making it easier for firefighters to extinguish the fire and safer to attempt a rescue. Unfortunately, knowing that solar panels pose a high-voltage hazard, firefighters are reluctant to, and in some cases may even refuse to, access the roof of a burning building if solar panels are present. The invention described below addresses this and other related problems.